Unusually heavy snow in Japan has been blamed for 30 deaths in the past two weeks, officials said Tuesday, including a 91-year-old woman found under a three-metre pile outside her home. The central government has deployed troops to help residents in Aomori, the heaviest-hit region where as much as 4.5 metres (15 feet) of snow remains on the ground in remote areas. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a special cabinet-level meeting on Tuesday morning to instruct ministers to do all they can to prevent deaths and accidents.
